The Job Opportunities Task Force (JOTF) is pleased to bring you the latest edition of its electronic newsletter. The JOTF E-Newsletter includes news, announcements, and information about upcoming events in the Baltimore area that we hope will be of interest to you. If your organization would like to publicize an event, job announcement, or other information, please send e-mail to info@jotf.org.

In this issue:

JOTF NEWS:

• JOTF To Issue Print Newsletter In October
• JOTF To Give Briefing To Baltimore City Council On Workforce Development, Oct. 23
• New Employment Advisory Committee To Develop Effective Retention Strategies
• JOTF Participates In Immigrant Workers Rally For In-State Tuition
• Baltimore Employment Roundtable Explores Links With MOED
• Deborah Povich Makes Presentation On Regional Workforce Gaps And Solutions
• Secretaries Fielder And McCabe Offer Administration's Workforce Plan At JOTF Forum
  

UPCOMING EVENTS:

• Maryland Works to Host Workshop on State Tax Credits (10/15)
• Transitioning the Safety Net: Center for Poverty Solutions' 15th Annual Statewide Conference (10/16-17)
• Baltimore Employment Roundtable to Discuss Disabilities Issues (10/23)
• The Re-Entry of the Ex-Offender: Goodwill Industries Panel Discussion (11/19)
• Bringing it All Back Home: Workforce Alliance's 2003 National Conference (12/11-12)
  

OPPORTUNITIES:

• Job Opportunity At the Baltimore Healthcare Coalition
• MOED Announces Job Opportunity for a Resource Development Specialist
• Sponsors Needed for MD Justice Coalition/Prison Fellowship Christmas Party
• Public/Private Ventures Announces Working Ventures Small Grant Initiative
  

NEW PUBLICATIONS AND RESOURCES:

• Good Jobs First Releases 50-State Study of Economic Development and Transportation
• Legal Action Center Launches Expanded Website
• CLASP Releases Fact Sheets on Barriers Facing Parents With Criminal Records
• New Casey Website Highlights Cultural Competence in the Workplace
• Jobs for the Future Announces Results of Worker Survey

JOTF TO ISSUE PRINT NEWSLETTER IN OCTOBER

Coming this month to a mailbox near you! JOTF is proud to announce the release in October of JOTF Works, our inaugural print newsletter. This quarterly publication will offer JOTF's perspective on specific themes in workforce development. We will highlight the best practices that workers, service providers, employers, public agencies, and advocates use to bridge the gaps in the workforce system.

In our first issue we look at the role of the public sector in helping job seekers find employment and build careers. We also profile Career Caravan, a public-private program that helps workers in Baltimore City get to jobs in Howard County.

JOTF Works will go out to the JOTF mailing list, members of the Maryland General Assembly, the Baltimore City Council, State agency personnel, and other key elected and appointed officials.

JOTF TO GIVE BRIEFING TO BALTIMORE CITY COUNCIL ON WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, OCT. 23

Baltimore City Council president Sheila Dixon has invited JOTF to brief City Council members about gaps and opportunities in the region's workforce development system. JOTF will present the findings and recommendations of our 2003 report, Baltimore's Choice: Workers and Jobs for a Thriving Economy.

The public is welcome to attend this briefing, which will take place at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, October 23 in the Clarence "Du" Burns City Council Chambers, City Hall, 100 North Holliday Street, Baltimore.

For more information, contact Kevin Griffin Moreno, (410) 234-8046.

NEW EMPLOYMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO DEVELOP EFFECTIVE RETENTION STRATEGIES

JOTF has formed an Employer Advisory Committee to develop ways businesses and employment services providers can work together to fill some of the region's workforce gaps.

The committee will identify challenges that employers in the area's growth industry sectors experience in meeting their workforce needs; examine the obstacles that low-skill workers face in advancing in their careers; and help to shape strategies that meet the needs of both.

Members include representatives of Catholic Charities, Chesapeake Habitat for Humanity, Harkins Builders, Home Builders Association of Maryland, Jacob France Institute, Johns Hopkins Hospital, LSG SkyChefs, Modu-Tech, and the JOTF Board of Directors.

For more information about the JOTF Employer Advisory Committee, contact Deborah Povich.

JOTF PARTICIPATES IN IMMIGRANT WORKERS RALLY FOR IN-STATE TUITION

Over 200 immigrant workers, students, community leaders, and concerned citizens gathered at the University of Maryland Law School Plaza on October 1 to advocate for in-state tuition rates for the children of undocumented immigrants in Maryland.

Currently, Maryland students who do not have permanent immigration status are charged out-of-state rates (three to four times the in-state tuition rate) to attend state colleges and universities. Many of Maryland’s immigrant students arrived in the United States as young children and grew up in Maryland’s elementary and secondary schools. During the 2003 legislative session, Governor Robert L. Ehrlich vetoed a bill passed by the Maryland House of Delegates that would have set in-state tuition rates for students that have attended Maryland public schools for at least three years and graduated, regardless of their immigration status.

In addition to foreign-born workers and high school students, speakers at the October 1 rally included: State Delegates Salima Siler Marriott and Samuel Rosenberg; Tom Perez, Montgomery County Council member and University of Maryland law professor; Ernest Grecco, Baltimore AFL-CIO president; and Natali Fani, board member of the Maryland Latino Coalition for Justice.

This event was one of many taking place throughout the country in conjunction with the Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride, a national campaign to focus public attention on immigrant rights and the injustices of current immigration policies. Inspired by the freedom rides of the civil rights movement, immigrant workers and their allies crossed the country in buses throughout late September, stopping in over 100 cities and towns. On October 4 the buses converged in New York City for a mass rally at Flushing Meadows State Park.

Freedom Riders from Minnesota and Wisconsin, who stopped in Baltimore to participate in the rally before continuing to Washington, D.C. to meet with members of Congress. Andres Sousa, Freedom Rider from Madison, Wisconsin and native of Peru, said that access to education for immigrants was "a necessity.”

JOTF coordinated press outreach for the rally, which was organized by CASA of Maryland, the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees' Union Local 7, the Union of Needle Trades, Industrial and Textile Employees (UNITE), and others.

Read related Baltimore Sun article.

BALTIMORE EMPLOYMENT ROUNDTABLE EXPLORES LINKS WITH MOED

The Baltimore Employment Roundtable met with representatives of the Mayor's Office of Employment Development (MOED) at the Southwest Career Center on October 1 to discuss ways that nonprofit service providers could work more effectively with public sector partners to help workers find and keep jobs.

In addition to learning about MOED's Career One-Stop Network and Employ Baltimore divisions, attendees talked about methods for job developers in the community to work collaboratively on placement and retention efforts with One-Stop career development staff. Meeting participants plan to hold follow-up discussions to build on last week's promising conversation.

The Baltimore Employment Roundtable wishes to thank Terry Jennifer Boone, Patrick Jackson, Mary Sloat, and Susan Tagliaferro for an informative presentation and a fruitful discussion.

The next meeting of the Baltimore Employment Roundtable will be on October 23. (Details in this issue.)

DEBORAH POVICH MAKES PRESENTATIONS ON REGIONAL WORKFORCE GAPS AND SOLUTIONS

JOTF executive director Deborah Povich gave presentations on the Baltimore region's workforce needs to an area funders' network and a university think tank in September.

On September 23, Deborah joined Peter Sabonis of the Homeless Persons Representation Project and Daniel Hatcher of Legal Aid Bureau of Maryland for a panel presentation to the Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers (ABAG) on the employment needs of former prisoners who return to Baltimore City. Panelists discussed the barriers to employment this population faces, including possession of a criminal record, lack of education and job skills, and debt associated with child support arrearages. The presentation was part of ABAG's series of discussions on prisoner re-entry.

The Johns Hopkins University Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) invited Deborah to present on whether Baltimore's low-skill workers and job seekers can achieve economic self-sufficiency and advance in their careers, given the current jobless recovery. Deborah emphasized the importance of investing in worker education and shifting to a "demand-driven" workforce system. The presentation was part of a lunchtime seminar series hosted by IPS in collaboration with the JHU Department of Economics and the Department of Health Policy and Management.

SECRETARIES FIELDER AND MCCABE OFFER ADMINSTRATION'S WORKFORCE PLAN AT JOTF FORUM

The heads of the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation (DLLR) and the Department of Human Resources (DHR) joined JOTF at the University of Baltimore's Merrick School of Business for a public forum entitled "Finding a Job, Building a Career" on September 16.

DLLR Secretary James Fielder and DHR Secretary Christopher McCabe articulated the Ehrlich administration's vision for helping Maryland's low-skill, low-wage workers obtain employment and advance in the workforce. Secretary McCabe said employment barriers must be reduced in order for workers to support themselves independently of public assistance. Secretary Fielder provided information on State programs aimed at developing the occupational skills of individuals who are already employed. Among these new initiatives is Maryland Business Works, an incumbent worker training program for small businesses.

Over 70 people attended the forum, which was organized by JOTF in partnership with Open Society Institute-Baltimore and the Jacob France Institute.

Read the forum summary.

For summaries of past JOTF forums, click here.

MARYLAND WORKS TO HOST WORKSHOP ON STATE TAX CREDITS OCT. 15

Maryland Works Workforce Network and the Provider Network will present an educational program titled "Maryland Tax Credits: A Tool for Employment Professionals" on Wednesday, October 15. The workshop will be held at the Maryland Works Training Center in Columbia, MD. Speakers include Bob Hofmann, CEO of Maryland Works, and Ronald Winter, Division of Rehabilitation Services. Registration is required.

For more information or to register, contact Sara Muempfer at (410) 381-8660, x201.

TRANSITIONING THE SAFETY NET: CENTER FOR POVERTY SOLUTIONS' 15TH ANNUAL STATEWIDE CONFERENCE (10/16-17)

From the Center for Poverty Solutions:
"Join service providers, public agency personnel, legislators, and advocates at the Center for Poverty Solutions 15th Annual Statewide Conference on October 16 and 17, 2003 at the Shiloh Baptist Village, 2100 W. Monroe Street, Baltimore, MD. We will present best practices in the areas of housing, workforce development, self-sufficiency, criminal justice and community and economic development and will continue our tradition of providing capacity building workshops on grants writing, financial management, and more."

For more information or to register, click here.

To purchase tickets, call 410-276-3206, or visit www.missiontix.com.

BALTIMORE EMPLOYMENT ROUNDTABLE TO DISCUSS DISABILITIES ISSUES (10/23)

The Baltimore Employment Roundtable and The Mayor’s Commission on Disabilities present Workplace Accommodations for Disabled Employees:

Thursday, October 23
8:30 - 10:00 a.m.
Charles Benton Building
417 East Fayette Street, 3rd Floor
Baltimore, Maryland

Guest Speaker: Kathleen Desmond Porter, Training and Organization Development Director, Americans With Disabilities Act Information Center for the Mid-Atlantic Region.

This presentation will cover the basic requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act as it pertains to employment settings. We will discuss the employer’s role in providing reasonable accommodation for disabled workers. We will also identify specific strategies for workforce development providers that may be helpful to persons with a variety of physical and mental disabilities, including substance abuse. Informational materials will be distributed and time will be provided for discussion.

For more information, contact Kevin Griffin Moreno at (410) 234-8046.

THE RE-ENTRY OF THE EX-OFFENDER: GOODWILL INDUSTRIES PANEL DISCUSSION (11/19)

Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake and the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS) present a panel discussion:

Wednesday, November 19
8:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Goodwill Headquarters
222 East Redwood Street
Baltimore, Maryland

DPSCS Secretary Mary Ann Saar will unveil her vision for the State's role in facilitating ex-offenders' re-entry into society. She will be joined by panelists who will discuss the struggle of returning offenders, the role of the community, and options to reduce recidivism. Panelists include Robert Embry, president, Abell Foundation; State Senator Nathaniel McFadden; Judge Thomas Waxter, Baltimore City Circuit Court; and Melvin Wilson, Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake. The discussion will be moderated by Jayne Miller, chair, Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake.

RSVP to mwilson@goodwillches.org or call (410) 837-1800, ext. 123.

BRINGING IT ALL BACK HOME: WORKFORCE ALLIANCE'S 2003 NATIONAL CONFERENCE (12/11-12)

The Workforce Alliance presents its second annual national conference:

Bringing it Back Home: Advocating for Workforce Training After the Reauthorizations
December 11-12, 2003
Capital Hilton
Washington, D.C.

This year's two-day event picks up where last year's highly successful conference left off, highlighting the latest developments in the reauthorization of key federal policies, and looking ahead to the challenges and opportunities for their implementation at the state and local levels.

Register online!

For more information, contact the Workforce Alliance at (202) 338-0737.

If your organization would like to publicize a service, job announcement, grant, or other opportunity, send e-mail to info@jotf.org.

BALTIMORE HEALTHCARE COALITION SEEKS COORDINATOR

The Baltimore Healthcare Coalition is a newly formed coalition of health systems, hospitals, public agencies, educational institutions, industry organizations, foundations and training providers that (1) seeks to develop immediate and long-term plans, (2) to train job seekers and entry-level workers in Baltimore to meet the skilled labor needs of area healthcare organizations, and (3) to create placement, retention and advancement opportunities for workers.

The Coalition is seeking a six-month-long, contract-based, part-time Coordinator, whose responsibility is guiding and facilitating the Coalition's efforts, as well as creating action planning groups composed of the varied organizations in order to to identify solutions.

Click on full job description.

MOED SEEKS RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST

The Mayor's Office of Employment Development is seeking to fill the position of Resource Development Specialist in the Youth Opportunity Area.

The position is full-time, temporary with no benefits under the supervision of the Division Director of the MOED Youth Opportunity Area, which requires coordination with the Youth Opportunity Management Team, coach, contract vendors, the administrative staff of the Mayor’s Office Employment Development, and state and city agencies.

Click on full job description.

SPONSORS NEEDED FOR MD JUSTICE COALITION/PRISON FELLOWSHIP CHRISTMAS PARTY

The Maryland Justice Coalition (MJC) and Prison Fellowship will hold a Christmas party for children with incarcerated parents.

Friday, December 19
6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Chuck E Cheese's - Westview Shopping Center
5912 Baltimore National Pike
Catonsville, Maryland.

Sponsors are needed for this event. If you wish to participate or learn more please contact Ms. Frieda Robinson at (410) 366-0600.

PUBLIC/PRIVATE VENTURES ANNOUNCES WORKING VENTURES SMALL GRANT INITIATIVE

Public/Private Ventures, through its Working Ventures program, invites applications from organizations willing to help advance the field's knowledge of strategies, processes, and tools that move beyond typical employer participation activities to deeper, interdependent relationships with employers.

To compensate organizations for their commitment to this project, Working Ventures will provide grants of $10,000 to up to four organizations to be part of the Employer Engagement Learning Lab (travel, meeting and registration expenses for required meetings and training events will be provided for separately).

This RFA is open to Working Ventures organizational members only (click here to join Working Ventures).

Applicants must be workforce development service provider organizations that work primarily with low-income clients and have been operating employment programs for at least three years. Previous recipients of Working Ventures Small Grants are not eligible for this grant.

Applications should be submitted in triplicate by 5:00 pm on November 3, 2003. The text of the proposal should be no longer than ten single-spaced pages and must follow the outline described in the RFA.

For a complete copy of the RFA, click here.

For Frequently Asked Questions about the RFA, click here.

GOOD JOBS FIRST RELEASES 50-STATE STUDY OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & TRANSPORTATION

Good Jobs First has released a 50-state study which finds that not one single state coordinates its economic development spending with public transportation. The report also finds that 46 states fail to even collect data on subsidized corporate relocations and therefore cannot determine if their economic development incentives are facilitating or undermining job access for low-wage workers.

Read the report, Missing the Bus: How States Fail to Connect Economic Development and Transit.

LEGAL ACTION CENTER LAUNCHES EXPANDED WEBSITE

The Legal Action Center has re-created its website. Visit the new website at www.lac.org to:

- access 60+ downloadable publications and other useful information on alcohol and drug addiction, criminal justice and HIV/AIDS law and policy;

- read and sign up for a weekly newsletter on the latest information on federal and Congressional activities relevant to drug/alcohol treatment, prevention, and research, and related criminal justice and AIDS issues;

- purchase (at a discount) publications explaining how to comply with new HIPAA privacy rules while still complying with the federal alcohol and drug confidentiality regulations; and

- learn about news and events from the Arthur Liman Policy Institute, National H.I.R.E. Network, and other projects.

CLASP ISSUES FACT SHEETS ON BARRIERS FACING PARENTS WITH CRIMINAL RECORDS

The Center for Law and Social Policy has issued Every Door Closed, a set of fact sheets and an action agenda concerning barriers facing parents with criminal records.

Each year, approximately 400,000 mothers and fathers finish serving prison or jail sentences and return home eager to rebuild their families and their lives. As these parents struggle to make a fresh start, they encounter many legal barriers that make it very difficult for them to successfully care for their children, find work, get safe housing, go to school, access public benefits, or even, for immigrants, stay in the same country as their children. These eight two-page fact sheets detail the scope of the challenges these families face and offer solutions for federal, state, and local policymakers.

Download the fact sheets.

NEW CASEY WEBSITE HIGHLIGHTS CULTURAL COMPETENCE IN THE WORKPLACE

From the Annie E. Casey Foundation Jobs Initiative Newsletter:
" A new website, launched as part of the Jobs Initiative, offers solutions for employers, job seekers, and workforce development practitioners seeking to increase cultural competence in the workplace.

"Cultural competence in workforce development means understanding and integrating the web of behaviors, attitudes and policies that foster an effective work climate in cross-cultural situations. The site features an extensive library of literature, tools and resources, and links to workforce development and diversity organizations."

Visit the Cultural Competence website.

JOBS FOR THE FUTURE ANNOUNCES RESULTS OF WORKER SURVEY

Boston-based Jobs for the Future has released the results of Getting Ahead: A Survey of Low-Wage Workers on Opportunities for Advancement, a national survey of over 1,000 individuals who work outside the home and whose households annually earn up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level.

From the Jobs for the Future website:
"According to a national survey of low-wage workers, commissioned by Jobs for the Future, seven in ten workers who earn less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level want access to education and training programs that can help them advance to well-paid positions. Nearly one out of four low-wage workers have paid for instruction out of their own pocket despite competing financial commitments and family obligations, a strong indication of the importance they place on advancing their education. Low-wage workers who have used government-sponsored or other workforce development programs for job placement, education, and career training have found them useful. However, the survey results also suggest a gap in workers’ awareness of the public system and their use of its services, a gap that better outreach and marketing might narrow. The study, a national survey of 1,002 adults with household incomes near the poverty line, was commissioned by Jobs for the Future as part of the Workforce Innovation Networks (WINs) initiative with funding from the U.S. Department of Labor."

Read the survey online. (Free registration is required.)

Newsletter Editor: Kevin Griffin Moreno